Automobile luggage carrier



April 23, 1935. B. P. HANSON AUTOMOBILE LUGGAGE CARRIER Original Filed Aug. 15, 1929 INVENTOR 3.2 Ha n so 72,

ATTOR EY Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED s-'1 1:vr

PATENT OFFICE 1998;621 AUTOMOBILE LUGGAGE c' m'u'En'. Bennie Pr Hafisofi'; Cedar Falls;- Iowa} assignori to George Calvin Kennedy; Walterloog-I'oWai.

A plieatijan August 15, 1929;Se1i'al 386,140 Renewed" September 17, 1934 7 claims. (e1 224*299 My invention relates to improvements in automobile luggage carriers; and the object of my improvementsisto sup ly a perfected carrier of this class, adapted to be removablymounted-uoon 5 the rear part of an automobile or other vehicle, and having relatively movable and. fi'X'ecl parts which cooperate in one relation as a;'c1osed o'pefiable container, and in another relltion' as an" extended open container for receivifig' convehier'itly and' transporting goods, wares, merchandise 01' travelers luggage. v

Another object of 'my improvements is to combine with the rear opening fixed'eerri'er, avmovable and extensible carrier part which" wheii extended has e'xtensibie and-foldabl'e sideflaps and an opena'ble end gate eoopereitihg 'therewith to re"- tain goods on said carrier p'aLrt' :aLgalimst displacements, the opefied end gate further serving: together' with adjustejble supports to extendith'e said carrier part; and to fold over upon theside flaps when the latter are retralcted inwardly, to he s'ecured thereupon, before the oarri'ef part isi'mo'ved tobecome" a; rear closure" for the fixed ea'r' r'ier'.

Anether'ohj'ect' of my im rovements is to pro- Vi'd'e auxiliary lihking' arid securing" means foi the" carrier cover; and'the' extexisible carrier part in" bo'th"v its closed" andextended positibhs.

Anotherobject O'fmy improvements' is tb'supply seetiorial reififoroingmear'is for the extensible carrier part" and the c'ove'r of' the fixed 'c'arr ier, and other" reinforcing means" for parts of" the latter; 7 These im rovements" with others" to be hereinafter mentioned,,I have successfully constr ueted in mylu'ggag'e carrier; afldtheyar'e' descrified and claimed hereih', and"i11ustra3ted' the abdom psmy ifi d'rawihg, irrwfiieli' Fig. 1 is a medial longitudinal vertical section of my d'evic'e' as fully extended; thedottedlihes"denoting'othefwise'coh c'e'al'ed' pa'rts' ofoertairi e1em'efit's; or difierefit p'o'fsitions of adjustment" of the end; gate; F1212 is ato'p plan of my device as'ex'tende'd', Withthe' top closure r'emoved; arid'the dotted lines iridieetihg thecollepsed'positions of the hinged sideflapsand rear end'gete of the movable rearclosure. Fig: 3 is a detail perspectiveview of a, portion" of the said rear closure withsaidilperts' collapsed; and. Figs; 4'" and 5* are" sectional detail'sres'pectively of asi'dewall'j aind'of tlfe'rea z'- closure, fra mentarily. 5 Minor modifications or changes in the e3?- emplifieatiorfof my 'seidfinvntioh"; are; neverthe less witlfin' the'scopeofthe appended claims.

The numeral Ide'njotes oneof the chassis'fram'e fea'fext'ensio'ns, an'dfZ a; plate bolted thereohto getl'fer"w'ith" an'arig1e=br3"'oneaoh side'of the frame-bars; and 2111 additional plate 4, an sebfi'fd by the bolts 9. My improved uggage carrier a; fixed front, side plates and bottom plate respecti'velyajt' 5; 1-0 am 5, the bottom p ate b'eifig removably secured on the angle-belts" my bolts 8. The carrier preferaghly'ha's stiffening inner''figilehairs 7" secured Within' its interior afi'g'les. The open topof the carrier hasa forwardly sw'ifi'gihg closure I'Fhihged thefetoat' the fro'rit, s51 1r;- sure having depending fielng'es; and lohgii't'u'diiia 1 outer reirifo'reihg' sectional bars" [8. The elosure'has a; loc'kpa'r't" zeth'ere'o'n, ore: pisjirthreo'f spaced" a'pztrt' therealon'g. Along the iiifi'ef' take at the tbpof each side-"tv'all lfl'is fixedfi r'inf'dfeis pivoted one ehcl of a. mediallypivoted' museums connector composed of the arts [4' and 2T, the outer end of the latter being" pivoted to theiffiier face-of tfiesi'defiajrige' of said c osure;- arm" which connector limits the swing of the closifl'efof wardly, tow; position just beyond the v'iertib'al' to the" from, to permit complete access to' the open topof the carrier; or to allow the upper" parts of obj e'cts' carriedlto" proj ect' above" the c'elrrierl The-numemrwqengstes a; swinging assure for the"0pef1 rear e'fid of: said carrier, a'ndi hfi'ling rai'sed"side fiehg'es: secu ed within st'id" closure and" fieri'g'es is ah azigle b'ir' frame member 31 around the rearoftne losure when steem-1 aLfi'd alon'g' its sides, and the clos re is fuithef r'e'i'fi fbrcied" b'ya," cif l'o'tn"'gii'judl'irial 'Liar'S" 3 5' along its inner face; Theel'o's'ure 'a's sliown'ektefia'd' in 2; Shows the forward" end" (alt thebbttonrwheh closed) alte'rfiat'elyromfiangea'm p1aees 39' tb'cqcarrier sides" at 23" with" stops 2"?! m me side flaps 33:

closure 25 when lowered... ShortrOlT-flhgs" l2 at the upper front edges of the flaps 33 seat vertical pins I3, and when the flaps are raised as shown in Fig. 1, arms l5 pivoted terminally on the bars 22 have their terminal eyes l6 seated upon said pins l3, thus helping to releasably fasten the flaps in that position, and taking some of the loading strain from the lower pivot-bolts 32 which hinge the lower sections of the jointed hangers 24 to the angle-bars 34 of the closure 25. The dotted lines below the top closure H in Fig. 1 show the released upper position of each arm IS.

The rear vertical margins of the carrier side walls I B are flanged or folded upon themselves inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, in three-ply, which greatly stiifens and strengthens these margins and the side walls ID, to resist the considerable strains set up by heavy loads, when the vehicle is rapidly traversing rough roads.

When closed, the rear closure 25 has a pair of lock members 28 fastened thereon at its rear transverse edge, to cooperate with the other locking members 26 on the cover H. A downwardly hooked finger-hold l9 or a pair thereof, may be fixed on said cover I! above the lock parts 20, for convenience in lifting said cover. The rear closure 25 has a pair of vertically disposed reinforcing devices along its outer surface, fixed thereon, as shown in Fig. 5. Each said device comprises a reinforcing bar 27 having its opposite margins upset outwardly to space them from the closure wall 25 and are spot-welded upon the wall 25. A split tube 26, flattened, is slid over and along each bar 26 to cover it and when plated, as with nickel, is an attractive ornament to the carrier when closed, as also an additional stifiening member. The longitudinal bar devices I8 on the cover I! may be similarly constructed if desired.

Referring to said Fig. 3, the numeral 3! denotes a movable end-gate for the tiltable closure member 25. The abutting transverse margin 5| of this gate is roll-flanged to seat a rod 42 whose ends project into looped bearing members 41 secured on the inner face of the transverse angle bar 34 of the closure 25. The end margins of the gate 3'! are also roll-flanged to receive rods 52 whose upper ends project a short distance to receive thereover looped arms pivoted on bolts 4| to the flaps 33, as shown in Fig. l, to secure the end gate 3'! in closed position when the closure is horizontal, thus providing the closure with a retaining wall all around except where it is hinged at 39. The end gate being hinged as before described, may be tilted downwardly and rearwardly, when the looped arms 40 are released therefrom and to any adjusted positions as far as the horizontal one shown. This is efiected by the use of the collapsible sectional hangers or hinge elements 45, hinged to the gate at 44 and to the flap at each side, and connected by means of bolts and wing-nuts as at 46, the bolts passed through slots 53 to permit of adjustments within a total scope of 90 degrees, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The end gate when in its horizontal position, becomes a rearward extension of the closure 25 horizontally, leaving that end of the closure open also, whereby loads of considerable length may project rearwardly upon and across the supported horizontal end gate, which could not conveniently be done were the end gate not so supported when opened. In certain cases, it will be convenient for the end gate to be secured in a-sloping position, and by the use of the wingnuts and bolts movable in the more or less registering slots 53.

When it is desired to close the closure 25 upon the carrier device in advance, initially, the closure being down, the end gate is released at the pins 52 the flaps 33 are swung after release at l3 downwardly upon the closure 25, then the end gate is swung forwardly upon the flaps 33. A loop 38 on the closure 25 is then moved over a curved projecting arm 38 on the end gate, securing the latter upon the flaps, and all securely and compactly upon the closure to take up but little room in the carrier when closed. The latter may be used then as a trunk. with the convenient hinged top cover. IT, in placing or removing goods.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a carrier device having bottom, front and side walls and open at the rear, a rear closure hinged thereto for the open rear thereof, side flaps hinged on said closure to swin inwardly thereupon, means for supporting said closure in its extended position, engaging means on said flaps, engaging means on the inner side walls of the device to engage releasably with the engaging means on said flaps when the latter are extended, means for fastening said flaps to said closure when folded thereupon, and other means for releasably fastening said closure to the carrier device in its closed position.

2. In combination, a carrier device having bottom, front and side walls and being open at the rear, a rear closure hinged thereto to close said open rear part of the carrier, side flaps having rearwardly sloping top edges and at their lower edges hinged on said closure to fold over upon it, means for supporting the closure in its extended position, other means for fastening the closure to the carrier device in its closed position, an end gate hinged to the free end of said closure between said flaps, and means for fastening the end gate releasably to said side flaps when all are extended vertically to surround the closure as the latter is in its extended position.

3. In combination, a carrier device having bottom, front and side walls and open at the rear, a rear closure hinged thereto, means for supporting the closure in an extended position, side flaps hinged to sides of said closure to fold over thereupon, an end gate hinged to the rear part of said closure to fold over said side flaps when the flaps are folded over upon the closure, and means consisting of releasably coengaging members for releasably securing the end gate to the closure in the latter. position of both to secure both to the closure.

4. In combination, a carrier device having bot tom, front and side walls and open at the rear and top, a rear closure hinged thereto, a top closure hinged thereto, means for, supporting the rear closure in an extended position, side flaps hinged on said rear closure to fold thereover without overlapping each other, means for releasably connecting the forward top parts of the flaps when extended to the carrier device, an end gate hinged to the free end of said rear closure, and means for releasably securing the end gate to the side flaps when the latter are extended.

5. In combination, a carrier device having closed bottom, front and side walls and open at the top and rear, a closure for its open top hinged thereto in front, a closure for its open rear hinged thereto at the bottom, an end-gate hinged to the free end of the rear closure, side flaps hinged to the side edges of the rear closure to swing inwardly thereover, the front parts of the flaps having at the top upwardly projecting pins thereon, arms pivoted to the side walls of said device and apertured at their free ends to seat engagingly upon said pins when said side flaps are extended, said end-gate having upwardlyprojecting pins at its ends, arms pivoted on the inner walls'of said side flaps and having their free ends apertured to seat engagingly upon said pins to lock the end-gate extended when the flaps are extended, hinged hanger sections whose outer ends are pivoted respectively to the upper inner walls of the device and to the outer sides of said rear closure, and stops on said side flaps engageable by the upper sections of said hangers when extended to limit their movements in one direction.

6. In combination, a carrier device having a closed bottom, front and side walls and open at the top and rear, a. closure for its open top hinged thereto, a closure for its open rear hinged thereto at the bottom, an end-gate hinged to the free end of the rear closure to swing over thereupon, adjustably connected pivoted hanger sections connected to the ends of said end-gate, side flaps hinged to the side edges of the rear closure, the opposite ends of said hanger sections being pivoted to said side flaps, said side flaps and said end-gate having coengaging engaging means to fasten the end-gate releasably when both the end-gate and side flaps are extended, pivotally jointed hangers connected between said side walls and said rear closure, said end-gate overlapping the side flaps when both are collapsed upon the rear closure, means upon the end-gate and rear closure engageable to secure the end-gate and flaps upon the closure, and means for securing the fiapsto the device when extended.

7. An attachment for automobiles comprising a casing, said casing formed of a bottom wall, up-

right walls and a top wall, the latter being hingedly connected to one of said upright walls, one of said upright walls being hingedly secured along one side thereof to the bottom wall and the other upright walls fixed to the bottom wall whereby the hingedly connected upright wall may swing in a path from a vertical to a horizontal plane, three independent folding wall sections hingedly connected along one of theirsides to the free sides of said hingedly connected wall, means extending between certain of the fixed upright walls and two of said folding wall sections for supporting the latter in upright position and means between said two folding wall sections and the third folding section for supporting the latter in extended position, and said one hingedly connected upright wall being of the same height as the other upright walls.

BENNIE P. HANSON. 

